Despite being a game where Thamesmead had enough chances to win by four or five and ended with Waltham Abbey almost winning the game as the visitors ended with ten men, there wasn’t a goal in sight at Capershotts. 

Forced into a pre game change when Michael Uwezu turned his ankle in warm up and was replaced in the starting side by Theo Fairweather-Johnson as the Mead lined up again in a 3-4-3 formation.

The first chance to Fairweather-Johnson who shot wide from Tyrus Gordon-Youngs pass, before Marc Gorbell headed over from a Derek Duncan corner after another Fairweather-Johnson drive which was deflected, and then Richard Butler hooked over when played through.  In between Darrelle Russell looked to have got away from the visitors defence only for keeper Aaron Ormand to race from his goal to clear.

The half’s best chance though fell to the home side on the stroke of half time when Ben Hunt missed a glorious chance after defensive hesitation from the visitors.

The second half began with the Mead in the ascendancy with Fairweather-Johnson again the unlucky striker heading over Jay Porter’s cross following a marvellous Duncan cross field pass.  Butler then poked a shot a yard wide before Abbey skipper Theo Jones was his sides hero making a stunning tackle just as Fairweather-Johnson was about to pull the trigger.

With the home side being pushed more and more back, the introduction of Ibrahim Kargbo for Butler seemed to be the catalyst that the Mead were missing as his introduction allowed Duncan a freer range, and indeed from another Duncan corner Gorbell brought a tremendous save from home keeper Anthony Page with a  fierce header.

Baff Addae then got into the game with a couple of half chances as the Mead continued to ask questions without results, whilst at the other end sub Ellis Lentell mazy run was stopped by a fine tackle from Michael Aziaya.

Aziaya was then involved in the Mead’s next chances as first he himself hit the outside frame of the goal from an Addae pass, and then he reversed roles by releasing Addae who in turn fed sub Ainsley Elliott who’s shot was magnificently saved and in the ensuing scramble, Gordon-Young got in a brave header that dropped agonisingly wide of the right post.

Gorbell’s third header of the afternoon goalwards then flashed past the post as the visitors piled forward desperate almost for the goal that would have surely won the game.

However, the Mead almost came unstuck as following Farai Hallam’s dismissal for hauling back Aveyinka Cole, the home side sensed an upset and only a truly fine tip over save from Ormand kept out Lentell’s angled pile driver.

Yet the Mead almost had the last laugh in a moved that really summed up the game as a whole when Porter’s deep deep cross kept swinging and as home keeper Page groped thin air, the ball clattered off the angle of post and bar and away to safety.

After the game, Mead boss Terry Spillane told us, “I’m disappointed again that we didn’t win after dominating the game the way we did.  We had the better chances in the game – maybe double figures – I don’t know why but in front of goal at the moment it’s just not going for us; we had a chance in the six yard box that the player’s only got to touch and we score; we’ve had a header from six yards that we missed, but buts its just not going for us at the moment.”

“We showed the intent today by playing 3-4-3 for 90 minutes and if it were a boxing match I’m pretty sure that the referee would have almost certainly stopped it half way through the first half as we were that much on top as we were in the second again where we’ve absolutely played them off the park.”

“Unfortunately our problem at the moment is that we’re not scoring and as I’ve just told the boys, its goals that win games and that’s the one area where we’re struggling at the moment!”

“Our defence though again on Saturday was superb with Arron coming in for Walks (Andy Walker) in goal he didn’t put a foot wrong.”

“He had a fantastic day and didn’t put a foot wrong and made a terrific save right at the end to effectively earn us the point for us when they broke away which sums up just how frustrated I am after having 99 percent of play.”

“But on the plus side and you know by now that I’m a “glass half full person rather than half empty” and we’ve come away from home and kept a clean sheet in a game that last year both before and after I arrived at the club, we wouldn’t have got anything out of!”

“Talking to number two Tony Faulkner during the summer, one of the things that we wanted to do was to make us difficult to beat, keep clean sheets and go away from home and keep clean sheets and that’s exactly what we’ve done today.”

“BUT I’ m so frustrated with the one point today as we’ve had so many chances and we didn’t take the opportunity to go back to the top of the table again tonight – yes I know it’s early days but it is nice to be there isn’t it?”

 

THE MEAD – Aaron Ormand, Michael Aziaya, Jay Porter, Lews Dark, Marc Gorbell, Farai Hallam, Richard Butler (Ibrahim Kargbo), Derek Duncan, Tyrus Gordon-Young, Theo Fairweather-Johnson (Ainslet Elliott) Baff Addae

Subs not used – Bode Andugbe, Michael Uwezu